Menu

The Black Swans – Occasion for Song

Occasion for Song is the newest slow-moving, sorrowful effort from the Black Swans. This album is heartfelt and eloquently delivered. Jerry DeCicca’s almost delicate voice and meticulously melancholy lyrics essentially forces the listener to lean into the music ever so slightly to hear and understand. The end result is engagement by the audience. I don’t think I can explain how important I think that is in this fast-paced, short-attention world we find ourselves in today. You don’t want to miss anything that’s being said, and the payoff is significant when you’ve been able to attend to the moment while truly listening.

This is an Alt. Country / Americana / Folk type collection of songs here with crunchy vibrato soaked electric guitar, banjo, harmonica, and organ. The songs are about the lives of ordinary people in Midwestern towns. Ordinary people who face seemingly inevitable tragedies in one form or another I suppose. I think of the song “Portsmouth, Ohio” as the center or foundation of this record and trying to describe its heartbreaking beauty couldn’t really do the song justice. So I ask you to just listen. There are of course other great standouts as well. “JD’s Blues” and “Where Are You Tonight” are both excellent songs that really grabbed me and pulled me in. The album is sad I guess, but in a way that’s honest and straight forward about how the only real way through is just to keep going. And in that sense I’m thankful for the full 12 songs on Occasion for Song. I want to keep going with this band and exploring the songs as I listen multiple times and appreciate how deeper meanings unfold with repetition.

I don’t want to compare the Black Swans to other artists because such comparisons are never fair and they always seem kind of pointless to me. However, I just offer a few names such as Silver Jews, Smog, and Lambchop for mere reference and varying degrees of relatedness to this kind of music here. Actually, for a slightly strange unexplainable reason, I’m reminded of the Traveling Wilburys as I’m listening to Occasion for Song despite the fact that there’s only one vocalist. Anyway, for people who enjoy those artists, I strongly suggest giving the Black Swans and this album a try if you aren’t already familiar.

Follow Me:

Submissions:

CFM welcomes submissions for album review, so please feel free to contact me. I will TRY to respond to your request and will ONLY listen to and post on the albums that fit the style of this blog. Also, keep in mind, I am unable to post something on every submission and please be patient as it may take a while to actually post.

Jason Molina Tribute

As long as Farewell Transmission is raising money for the Molina estate and MusiCare, I'll continue to accept your tributes. If you would like to submit to CFM's "Remembering Jason Molina" tribute project, send me an email.

Songwriter’s Point of View

If you're a songwriter and would like to contribute to CFM's on-going segment "Songwriter's Point of View", drop me a line.

Disclaimer:

All posts on this site are for informational and promotional purposes only. If you like the music, please support the artists and purchase the albums. If you find any content that is violating the copyright law, please contact me and the material will be removed.